Caster.



No. 637,079. Patented Nov. I4, |899, T. BYEns.

EASTER.

(Application led May 26, v1.899.)

(No Model.)

17am 23j/erw @www vm@ @Vaga-mz 2,3 rgern@ UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS BYERS, OF ESSENDON, VICTORIA.

cAsTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 637,079, dated November 14, 1899. Application filed May 26, i899. Serial No. 718,396. (No model.)

To all whom it may concor-n:

Be it known that I, THOMAS BYERS, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, and a resident of Violet street, Essendon, in the Colony of Victoria, have invented a certain new and useful Improved Caster, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is devised to obviate cert-ain objections common to casters at present in use-z'. e., the scraping or moving sidewise of v the Wheels along the l'loor or ground owing to such Wheels not moving freely into line with the direction of pull or push of the object supported by them, or in casters where a single ball is used such ball grips the cup in which it is held and if greased such grease spoils the carpet or floor on which it works.

My improvements are adapted to a caster constructed iu two main parts-namely, a socket-piece and a wheel-supporting frame, the socket-piece being set upon ball-bearin gs formed on the wheel-frame and is connected with the frame by apin, which passes through and is held in aslotin same. This construction will allowr the Wheels to immediately turn into the proper position when a body provided with the casters is pushed or pulled along the ground, so as to run freely and allow the object to be easily moved from place to place.

In order to make the invention clear, I will now refer to the accompanying sheet of drawings, in whichlFigure l represents a'front elevation of the caster; Fig. 2, a side view of same; Fig. 3, a vertical section; Fig. 4, a plan looking onto the top of the'wheel-frame.

A represents a socket-piece which is arranged to receive the end of a table-leg or other body. This socket-piece has its base B extended outwardlyin form of a flange, with the edges of same, C, turned downwardly. A pin D is secured to the bottom of the said socket-piece about its center.

E represents the wheel, which is supported in a frame. This frame consists of a circular top plate G, with two depending arms H, the wheel being supported by a spindle F, passing through` the arms in the ordinary manner. The top of the frame has an annular cup or ball-race J y formed in it and which is arranged to receive a number of balls K,

upon which the socket-piece aforesaid will have its bearings. The top plate of this frame hasa slot L formed in it. This slot is of a length equal to three diameters of the pin D and is rounded at its ends and narrows toward the center, the distance between the central points P of the sides being slightly greater than the diameter of pin. (See Fig. 4.)

The socket piece is connected with the wheel -frarne by the pin D, which passes through the slot and is held in position by a washer M and a split key-pin N, which passes through a hole in the pin D. The base of the socket-piece is made of greater diameter than the toprof the Wheel-frame, so that as the Wheel-frame moves (by reason of the slot and pin) into a position eccentric to the socketbase center said base will at all times cover the top ot' frame and rest upon the balls.

Owing to the peculiar shape of the slot L and thesetting of the pin D within it, the Wheels E will on a pull or push being given to the object which the casters support immediately move into a line in the direction of such pull or push, the action being assisted4 by the ball-bearing construction.

In the use of my caster it will be found that there is no dead position, where the wheel will move or slide sidewise over the ground; but my construction will, as aforesaid, immediately cause the Wheels to turn into such position that the body supported by them can be easily Wheeled over the surface.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of vmy saidinvention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is In combination a socket-piece A having enlarged base B C and downwardly-projecting pin D, a wheel-supporting frame having top plate G with slot L and ball-race J to receive balls K and depending arms H to form bearings for the wheel as E, and means for holding the pin within the slot substantially as set forth.

Signed at Melbourne, in the Colony of Victoria, Australia, this 13th day of April, 1899.

THOMAS BYERS. Witnesses:

A. O. SAcHsE, A. HARKER. 

